Are overnight oats beneficial for weight loss? Absolutely! Discover my nutritious recipe for healthy overnight oats designed specifically for weight loss. They are satisfying and clock in at only around 300 calories! In this article, you’ll learn how to prepare oats for weight loss, get tips on how to eat oats for weight loss, and much more! You can easily customize these breakfast oats to be gluten-free, high in protein, or vegan.
Why Choose a Healthy Breakfast Idea for Weight Loss?
Looking for a healthy breakfast idea that aids in weight loss? Look no further than my weight loss overnight oats recipe! Whenever I skip breakfast, I tend to snack excessively mid-morning. By indulging in heart-healthy overnight oats as soon as I wake up, I can avoid overeating later in the day.
Of course, if I don’t feel like having overnight oats, there are plenty of other nutritious options to kickstart my mornings: a high protein frittata with eggs, vegetables, and cheese, a refreshing fruit and yogurt bowl, or some delicious sweet potato toast.
However, I truly believe that enjoying healthy overnight oats for weight loss is an excellent choice. It’s a grab-and-go meal perfect for busy mornings, as it’s already portion controlled.
Moreover, you can add a generous amount of wholesome whole grain oats, fruit, and dairy while skipping the brown sugar, refined grains, and added oil. Compared to standard breakfast muffins or pastries, overnight oats are far more nutrient-dense. They’ll keep you full with fewer calories than muffins and pastries would.
And that’s an essential aspect of weight loss – maintaining a calorie deficit with satisfying and nutritious meals. While some people achieve this through low carb or keto diets, others like myself prefer finding ways to make grains like oatmeal low calorie and filling.
Calories, Net Carbs, and Protein Content
For those curious about the nutritional breakdown, one serving of this healthy overnight oatmeal for weight loss contains approximately 318 calories, 41.4 grams of net carbs, and 24.6 grams of protein. If you’re aiming to lose weight, it’s generally recommended to have a breakfast that falls within the 300-500 calorie range. This assumes you consume three meals consisting of 300-500 calories each, along with 1-3 snacks of 100-200 calories per day.
Please note that women should not follow a diet below 1200 calories per day without medical supervision, while men should avoid a diet below 1500 calories per day without similar supervision. Very low calorie diets can be effective for weight loss, but they also pose a higher risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Consulting with a doctor or dietitian will help ensure you’re losing weight safely.
The number of daily calories suitable for weight loss varies between individuals. While a 300-calorie breakfast may be sufficient for some, active individuals with larger bodies can still lose weight while consuming more calories than someone inactive who wishes to shed a few pounds.
The Benefits of Low Calorie Overnight Oats
What are the advantages of overnight oatmeal for weight loss? Let’s explore why this easy recipe is worth incorporating into your morning routine:
- Healthy breakfast: Unlike sugary breakfast cereals, this recipe features fresh blueberries and whole grains, offering superior nutrition and flavor. It contains no added sugar (e.g., honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar) or refined grains, making it a wholesome choice.
- Cost-effective: Oats are economical! You can purchase a large pack of rolled oats at a store like Costco, and they will last for a long time.
- Simple meal prep: Combine your overnight oats with liquid ingredients, layer them in a jar with fruit, and refrigerate. Since you consume overnight oats cold, no cooking is necessary. With this recipe, I love preparing breakfast for 2-3 days in advance!
- Portion control: Overnight oatmeal streamlines low calorie breakfast consumption as the ingredients are already portioned. Fill the jar with protein-rich, fiber-rich, and healthy fat-rich foods, and voila – you have a complete meal.
- Protein source: Although oatmeal is primarily a carbohydrate food, incorporating Greek yogurt and milk into your overnight oats adds filling protein. Individuals following a plant-based diet have alternatives like soy milk and protein-fortified almond milk.
- Fiber content: Fiber adds bulk to meals, promoting satiety. Whole grain oats and fruits are excellent sources of fiber. This healthy overnight oats recipe for weight loss provides 6.1 grams of fiber per serving.
- Heart healthiness: Oats contain beta-glucan, which may help improve cholesterol levels. Additionally, oats can replace breakfast foods high in saturated fat, contributing to heart health improvements.
- Deliciousness: This recipe takes inspiration from one of my favorite quick breads, resulting in sweet overnight oats that taste like a treat!
Ingredients for Healthy Overnight Oats
Let’s take a look at what you’ll need to make overnight oats for weight loss:
- Dry oatmeal
- Plain Greek yogurt (nonfat)
- Milk (2%, 1%, or skim)
- Sugar-free maple syrup
- Lemon zest
- Poppy seeds
- Fresh blueberries
The exact quantities for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this article!
For this recipe, you can use old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats. Instant oats may yield overly mushy overnight oatmeal, while steel-cut oats might not soften enough.
To maintain a lower calorie count and avoid unnecessary sugar, I use sugar-free syrup in this recipe. If you prefer, you can substitute real maple syrup, but note that it adds approximately 40-50 calories per serving.
If the blueberry lemon poppy seed combination doesn’t appeal to you, don’t fret! Check out the section on overnight oats toppings and mix-ins below for numerous alternatives to flavor your oatmeal.
Special dietary considerations: You can adapt this recipe into vegan overnight oats for weight loss by using protein-rich soy milk and soy yogurt. For gluten-free overnight oats, opt for oats certified as gluten-free. This recipe can be tailored to suit various dietary requirements.
Equipment for Making Healthy Overnight Oats
To create weight loss overnight oatmeal, you’ll need a container suitable for overnight oats. I enjoy using a pint-sized wide-mouth mason jar with a lid. The lid helps keep the jar clean and secure while it sits in the fridge.
However, if a glass jar isn’t available, any food-safe container will suffice for overnight oats. Tupperware, plastic containers, bowls, or even large mugs can work well. If your chosen container lacks a lid, simply cover it with plastic wrap.
How to Prepare Healthy Overnight Oats for Weight Loss
Let’s dive into making these low-calorie overnight oats! The process is incredibly straightforward:
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oats, yogurt, milk, syrup, lemon zest, and poppy seeds. Transfer half of the mixture to your pint jar or chosen container.
- Layer half of the fresh blueberries on top.
- Add the remaining oat mixture to the jar, creating an even layer.
- Finish by layering the rest of the fresh blueberries.
- Seal the jar with a lid or use plastic wrap before refrigerating overnight.
After a minimum of 8 hours, you can enjoy this breakfast straight from the fridge. It’s important not to cook the overnight oats, as doing so may destroy the beneficial bacteria (probiotics) present in the yogurt.
Leftover Overnight Oatmeal
Overnight oatmeal is perfect for storing! Keep this low-calorie recipe in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To simplify my weekday breakfast routine, I often prepare multiple jars in advance.
While some overnight oats recipes can be frozen, I wouldn’t recommend doing so with this one. Freezing and thawing may lead to mushy blueberries.
Low Calorie Toppings and Mix-Ins for Oatmeal
The possibilities for low calorie overnight oats are endless! Mix and match the following ideas to create a delicious combination:
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Fresh fruits and frozen fruits are fantastic low calorie mix-ins for overnight oats. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Bananas
- Apples
- Pears
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Plums
- Apricots
- Persimmons
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Mandarin oranges
- Papaya
- Kiwi
- Pomegranate
- Canned pumpkin (botanically a fruit!)
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Although dried fruits, such as raisins, are tasty, they have higher calorie content due to their water removal. Thus, I don’t recommend using them in low calorie overnight oatmeal.
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To keep overnight oats low calorie, use small portions of high-fat foods. Fat is calorie-dense, containing 9 calories per gram. Misjudging fat quantities can quickly turn a low-calorie breakfast into a high-calorie one. Nevertheless, it’s important to include healthy fats in your diet. This recipe already incorporates some fat from dairy products and poppy seeds.
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Other high-fat foods to consider include peanut butter, almond butter, nuts, sunflower seeds, full-fat coconut milk, cream, granola, and shredded coconut. Flax seeds, chia seeds, and hemp seeds are fantastic sources of omega-3s (ALA).
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Spices and extracts can provide flavor with minimal calories. Vanilla extract, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice are excellent options. For a lower-calorie chocolate taste, consider adding cacao nibs or cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips.
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Lastly, if you’re looking to add protein to your low calorie overnight oats, consider the following options:
- Dry milk powder
- Peanut powder
- Cooked egg whites (great for savory oats)
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Kefir
- Skyr
- Protein powder (choose dairy-free plant-based protein or whey protein with no sugar added)
Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This recipe falls under level 1 (may help support fat loss). Here’s something surprising: you can eat overnight oats whether you’re aiming to lose or gain weight. Weight loss or gain is determined by overall calorie balance, not specific foods.
In this low calorie oats recipe, I use low-fat and nonfat dairy, fresh fruit, and sugar-free maple syrup. These ingredients provide a voluminous pint jar of low calorie overnight oats. The recipe offers fiber, protein, and fluid volume to promote satiety.
Now, what if I were to use whole milk or cream, whole milk yogurt, dried fruits, and real maple syrup instead? I could create an equally sized jar of overnight oats using these ingredients. However, the higher-calorie oats would contain at least 200-300 more calories than the low-calorie version.
Would the higher calorie oats with full-fat dairy, sweeteners, and dried fruit keep me fuller for longer? Personally, I don’t think so. Opting for the low calorie oats wouldn’t automatically lead to more snacking later. I would feel just as satisfied, if not more so, with the oats made from fresh fruit and low-fat dairy.
Experimenting with such variations can be helpful when working towards weight loss goals. Pay attention to how different foods make you feel. Does using fresh fruit instead of dried fruit affect your sense of fullness? Do reduced-fat milk and whole milk yield different satiety levels? Mindful eating and understanding which dietary patterns work for you are early steps towards long-lasting weight loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I have overnight oats if I’m trying to lose weight?
A: Absolutely! Overnight oats can be a nutritious addition to a weight loss diet. However, it’s essential to ensure your overall calorie intake aligns with your goals.
Q: Can I freeze overnight oats?
A: While some overnight oats recipes can be frozen, it’s not recommended for this particular recipe. Freezing and thawing may negatively impact the texture of the fresh blueberries.
Q: Are overnight oats gluten-free?
A: Overnight oats can be gluten-free if you use oats certified as gluten-free.
More Overnight Oats Recipes for Weight Loss
Looking for more weight loss overnight oats recipes? Here are a few additional low-calorie recipes for you to try:
- [Link to recipe 1]
- [Link to recipe 2]
- [Link to recipe 3]
- [Link to recipe 4]
- [Link to recipe 5]
Other Low Calorie Breakfast Recipes
In search of other low-calorie breakfast ideas for weight loss? Look no further:
- [Link to recipe 1]
- [Link to recipe 2]
- [Link to recipe 3]
- [Link to recipe 4]
- [Link to recipe 5]
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The Disclaimer…
Please note that all recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consulting a registered dietitian or physician can help determine the dietary pattern that best suits you.
The nutrition information provided is an estimate for your convenience and may vary depending on specific brands and ingredients used. Calorie information on food labels can be wildly inaccurate, so don’t stress too much about the numbers.
For more details on how the three recipe levels can support your weight management goals, refer to my no-sugar overnight oats post. Happy cooking!
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